Reese Witherspoon on Arrest: 'We Know Better'

(ABC NEWS) -- Reese Witherspoon not only told the police officer who pulled over her husband for alleged drunken driving two weeks ago in Atlanta, "Do you know my name?"and "You're about to find out who I am," she told him she was pregnant.

"I saw him arresting my husband and I literally panicked," Witherspoon said today on "Good Morning America." "I told him I was pregnant. I'm not pregnant. I said all kinds of crazy things."

Witherspoon's outburst resulted in her arrest on a disorderly conduct charge, while her husband, CAA agent Jim Toth, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and failure to maintain the lane.

"It's just completely unacceptable and we are so sorry and embarrassed," Witherspoon said on "GMA." "I think we made a mistake and it was something that will absolutely never happen again."

The 37-year-old mother of three was a passenger in a silver 2013 Ford Focus being driven by Toth, 42, April 19 when they were pulled over around midnight by an officer who noticed the car wasn't staying in its lane, the police report said.

Toth, who allegedly appeared disheveled and smelled of alcohol, said he'd had one drink and agreed to perform a field sobriety test, according to the report.

"We went out to dinner in Atlanta and we had one too many glasses of wine," Witherspoon explained in her first live interview since her arrest.

"We thought we were fine to drive and we absolutely were not," she said. "We know better and we shouldn't have done that."

During the test, Witherspoon, who has previously had a squeaky-clean public image, allegedly became agitated and started to get out of the car twice, receiving warnings both times, according to the report.

"I was so disrespectful to him," Witherspoon said. "I have police officers in my family. I work with police officers every day. I know better. It's just unacceptable."

Witherspoon, along with Toth, was taken to jail briefly before being released. They have both been ordered to appear in court later this month but Witherspoon said she has been in touch with authorities in Atlanta.

"Yesterday, I spoke to them and again just said, 'There is no reason to be disrespectful to a police officer,'" she said. "Again, I just panicked."

Witherspoon and Toth married in March 2011 after a year of dating. They have a son, Tennessee James Toth. Witherspoon also has two other children from her previous marriage to actor Ryan Philippe.

The "Walk the Line" star said explaining the incident to her children has been the hardest part.

"We have to say when you make a mistake, you take responsibility and we are taking responsibility and doing everything in our power to make it right," she said.

Witherspoon, who famously starred as Harvard-educated attorney Elle Woods in the hit "Legally Blonde" films, attributed her acting roles to her behavior that night.

"I played a lawyer in a movie so many times I think I am a lawyer," Witherspoon said. "And, clearly, I'm not a lawyer because I got arrested."

"When a police officer tells you to stay in the car, you stay in the car," she said. "I learned that for sure."

The actress, now starring in the movie "Mud," had been in Atlanta to work on the film "The Good Lie."